Qatargas conducts emergency exercise with Qatar Civil Defence

14/03/2016 07:40 AST

Qatargas’ Emergency Management and Security Services (EMSS) Department, in coordination with the Qatar General Directorate of Civil Defence (GDCD), has conducted an unannounced emergency exercise to ensure the emergency preparedness of the company’s Head Office.

Qatargas Head Office, located in the West Bay area, is a 52-storey building which has offices for employees from both Qatargas and Qatar Petroleum. The company conducts regular exercises to ensure that effective safety and security measures are in place and will work properly in the event of an emergency. The latest exercise tested emergency notifications, safety of staff within protected lobbies, phased evacuation of personnel who are at greater risk, effectiveness of the rescue operations and medical aid.

The exercise simulated a fire in one of the floors and focused on safeguarding the occupants and recovery issues. The responders included staff from Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatargas Initial Response Team, Qatargas Medical team and trained Floor Wardens from both Qatargas and Qatar Petroleum. The participants were not informed of the day or time of the exercise, in order to test and simulate a real emergency and response scenario. The exercise allowed Qatargas to validate its plans and capabilities, and to identify areas for improvement.

Randy Lee Stadler, Qatargas’ Chief Safety, Environment and Quality Officer, said: “This exercise tested multiple elements of our emergency response plan building on the capabilities we have developed over the past few years to respond to and manage emergencies. It provided an opportunity for continuous improvement in additional planning or changes in our response procedure.”

Hassan Jassim Abu-Khamis, Qatargas EMSS Manager, said: “This exercise has proved to be an important medium for ensuring the safety-readiness of our Company and an opportunity for us to work together with Qatar Civil Defence to preserve the security and the well-being of our employees in the event of an emergency. It is our responsibility to make sure that Qatargas is prepared for the variety of hazards we may face, from a fire to a natural disaster.”

Brigadier Hamad Al-Duhaimi, Qatar Civil Defence Operations Director, said: “This exercise is essential as Qatar Civil Defense and Qatargas prepare to efficiently handle emergencies requiring multi-agency coordination.”

The Peninsula